Centering drive for washing machines



A. S. WISE CENTERING DRIVE FOR WASHING IAOHINES Filed May 22, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet Fla! INVENTOR fl/Asw & Mae.

WITNESSES:

/ ATTORNEY A. S. WISE CENTERING DRIVE FOR WASHING IACHI NES Filed May 22, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 9, 1928 UNITED STATES I M863 PATENT OFFICE.

ALLEN S. WISE, OF PITTSBURGH, PEI INSYLVANI A, ASSIGNUR '10 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A" CORPORATION OF PENKSYLVANIA.

omvcrnnme DRIVE not. wnsnmo mcnmns.

Application filed May 22,

My invention relates to washing machines and has special relation to drive mechanism therefor.

An object of my'invention 1s to provide a power drive for a washing-machine tub that shall be actuable on movement of a control member to bring the'tub to a normal position and automatically stop it in this position. I 1

Another object of my invention is to provide a drive mechanism for a washin -machine tub which shall be; operative, w on 9.

clutch is in one position, to impart a washing v movement to the tub and, when the clutch is in another position, to restore the tub to a normal inoperative position. A further object of my invention 1s to provide power means for gradually initiating and increasing the movement of a tub with- 90 outsudden and destructive shock i A still further object of my inventlon is to provide a washing-machine drive having the aforementioned characteristics and being of special simplicity. u I A still further object of my invention 1S to provide a'single extensible control member for a washing machine.

Reference is had to the accompanymg' drawings in which 1 Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a machine embodying my invention, a wall of the cabinet being partially broken. away to reveal the drive mechanism. fFig. 2 is an end elevational view of the 35 drive -mechanism, parts being broken, away.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the drive mechanism taken on the line III- 1H of Fig; 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken "on 4 the line IVIV of Fig. 3, the gear case be-' ing removed and parts being broken away. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line VV of Fig. 3, showing the relationship of parts when in operative position, and

5 Fig. 6 is a view, similar to Fig.,5, showing the relationshi of partswhen the tub is' in normal stopped position.

In the cabinet 1, a motor 2' is secured hav ing a motor shaft 3 journaled in a gear case 4. A worm- 5 on the motor shaft meshes with a Worm gear 6 which is free on a shaft.

7 journaled in the case at; The worm gear 6 is rigid with a bevel gear 8.' The bev el gear 8 meshes with a bevel gear 10 .on a

' wringer drive Shaft 11. which is journaled in' the top of the cabinet portion 1.

with the clutch face '15 .of the, bevel gear/ 8 1924. Serial No. 715,104.

the case 4 and drives the rolls 12 of a folding wringer 13 by means of mechanism described and illustrated in my copending application filed June 17, 1924, Serial'No. 720,529, and

assigned to the Westinghouse Electric and ManufacturingCompany. I

The bevel gear 10 meshes with a third bevel gear 14 free on the shaft 7. The bevel gears 8 and 14 have clutch faces 15 and 16, res tively, thereon,'engageable by a clutch collar 17 slidable by a clutch yoke 18 along the shaft 7 and splined thereto, 7 The clutch yoke 18 is movableb a rotative-control rod 20 journaled in t e case 4" and extending adjacent'the top of the'cabinet portion21, terminating in a square and received in'an'opening in a handle '21.

The handle 21, in one position thereof, projects above the top of the cabinet portion 1 and isgheld in that position by a springurged ball 22 received in one of. a pair of recesses 23 in the/ end of the control rod 20. The handle may be nioved downwardly, causing the ball 22 to be received in the lower recess, in which position the handle is below At the end of the shaft .7, an inner eccen: tr1c 24 is, secured,having a recess 25 therein and surrounded by an outer-eccentric 26 havng a recess 27 therein, the recess 25 receivmg a roller 28. The outer eccentric 26 is i received inthe end of a connecting 'rod'30 1 havinga flange 31- thereon and a cap 32 for maintaining the eccentrics in place.

The. connecting {rod 30 is pivoted to a rock arm-33 rigid with a shaft 34 journalled in a support35 secured to the gear case 4 and the cabinet portion 1. A rock lever 36' is rigid with the shaft 3e'and has a slotted upper end engaging a pin 37 on a tub 38 which is 'providedwith a trunnion. 40 in a bearing 41 supported by the? 'cabinet portron 1;. p l

In the normal operation of-the device,the motor"2 rotates the shaft 3, the-worm 5, the

wormgear' 6 and the bevel gear .8. This imparts, throtigh the bevelgear 10, rotation to the wringer drive shaft 11. The clutclr collar 17 is, at this time, in engagement and transmits power vto the shaft 7 which' rotates the inner eccentric-24 i indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5.

The roller 28 is at the ends ofthe-recesses" 25 and 27 and transmits rotci'y'niovernent l the-direction? 25 centric '24 is not immediately transmitted 3 movement of the innereccen 'c 24with repossibleand:

inoperative" position. Continued: rotation .40 ment between the inner eccentric 24 and the eccentrici It'is 155v .When the tuh desired, be thrown in neutral, thus diswn- {meet ng 1 power fro'm'the shaft 7 and bring;

I .Jis m-inoperative condition, the clutch col,-

- to the outer eccentric 26, which actuates the connecting rod 30 and moves the rock arm" 33, the shaft 34, the rocking lever 36 and thetub3-8.. '7

6 By the expression normal inoperativeposition of the tub, that position is desig nated which the tub occupies when it is p stopped so that the removal of clothes or fabrics therefrom and the'placing of other 10 articles or materials therein is permitted.

' When it is desired to restore the tub 'to 'normalinoperative position, the operator rotates the handle 21and the control rgd. .20 and throws the clutch collar 17 into en-.

gear 14. This:v causes areversal of the di- .rectionofrotation of the shaft 7 -without interfering with theQcontinued rotation in its original direction of the wringer drive 20 shaft 11. rotation of the shaft 7 in itsopposite directiontransmits, rotary movement to the inner eccentric 24 in the di-, rection indicated'in Fig. 6. :f

j- The reversed movement ofthe inner:ec-

' to the outer eccentric 26, and-relativem'o'vement between j the; eccentrics occurs until -the roller.2 8 reaches the ends of the recesses 25 and 26, as shown. in: Fig, 6. Further spect to the-outer eccentric '2 is then imthe outer eccentric is'concentric the shaft/7. V Atv this time, the tub'38 is inits normal of the shaft .7 does not then cause an os cillationffof the tub. 38 but prevents n,1ove- 'mentthere'ofQ n be noted at the relativemoveoutef'ecgentric26 tal res placethrough sube "stantially 180. other words, substan-' tially a 180 IGlEtIVB movement is necessary 1 to'changetheoutereccentric 26 from full ttrgcohcentricitywith the shaft v o 'vious,therefore, that the tub 38, rrespective 'of its position at the time, will be brought to rest in one -halfof -a rotation ofthe shaft 7. e 3

H After the tub. 38"has been brought its feet, the rotation of the shaft 7 continues and the wringer drive shaft 11 is maintained in operation. There is however,- no movement of the connecti'n rod 30 or. therock lever 36., n is moving in normal washmg'operation, the clutchcollar 17 may,

0 am the oscillation ef-the'euaehee a 1ar '17 is shifted,*in'flan..fobyions manner, to

l enge e the clutch. nee-"1'5 ea thebevel gear 8, and rotation of-the inner 'ec'centric' 24 in "the. eccentricity of the outer eccentric '26, is; gradually initiated. The connect-in rod the' shaft 7. 15 gagement withthe clutch face 16. of the bevel nd varied. without departing .from the templated within the scope of the appended .edfor movement,- a shaft, an inner eccentric .with said second' gear, a clutch secured for.

an outer eccentric surroundin Fig. 5 is initiated- Relative movement between the innereccentricand the outerec ,v centric 26; then occurs, which 'iscommunihated to the connecting rod 30 at the time of initiation ;of i,t s movement. The leccentricity of the'outer eccentr1c26 is ze'ro and this eccentricity gradually increases. It is apparent, theref0re,lthat' thev motion of the connecting'rod 30,. 'which is due to 73 30 is,'however, brought u to full spec and full. movement in one ha f of a rotation of The invention is not-limited, to th 807 v S ecific details of construction rand operatron of; the iambodiment. illustrated and described which may be extensively-modified spirit of the, inventione Instead of the tub 38, a container of some I other types maybe substituted in certain ap-f 1 plications of theiinvention. The invention may also be applied to washing machines of i the dolly and vacuum-cap typesmand, in fact 99 may be used for moving .vvashinglelements o a widely diversified nature. Y t.

A" substantial range of eduivalentsis conclaims.

9 Iclaim as m inventionz' r. I "1. The combination -ofa container mounted for movement, drive means for moving said container, means forreversing the direction of said drlve mea s; and means.opera- .tlve upon the IGVGI'SBJgOf said drive means to move saidcontainer to normal position a and stop it in that position. 2'. The combination ofa container mount-f on said shaft,- andouter eccentric surround said in ner eccentric, connections between 331d outer.v eccentric) and saidcontainer for.

moving said container,'and means for revers 'ing the direction? of rotation of said shaftv for altering the relative angular positions 'of said eccentrics, decreasing the eccentricity of said outer eccentric and stopping said container.- 7 -v 4 P 3. The combination of a container mount- .1 ed for movement,'-a shaft, a gear free on said shaft, meansfor rotating said gear, a second gear meshing with the first mentioned ar,

a third gear free on saidishaft and mes sliding movement on said shaft and engageable with said mentioned gear or said third gear, an inner eccentric on said shaft, .sald inner mcentl'ice and i g n ctions between 125 said outereccentric and said container, said eccentrics being relatively movable for" a hmiteddistance whereby, upon the rotation of shaft one -direction, -whenf said c ufeh ,1 g g with the m nti ned gear, said container is given a normal operative motion, and, on the rotatlonof sa d shaft in a reverse direction when said clutch is in engagement with said third gear, the

eccentricity of said outer eccentric is de creased.

4. The combination of a washing machine tub mounted for movement, power means for moving said tub, a rod for controlling said power means and a handle portion slidable along said rod from an operative position to inoperative position and viceversa.

5. The combination of acabinet portion, a tub, drive means for moving said tub and an extensible rod for controlling said drive means extending above the top of said cabi-. net portion but movable downwardly in a straight line below the to thereof.

' 6. The combination 0 said tub including a clutch, a rod for controllin said clutch, and a handle for moving sai rod, said handle being movable into. operative position by the mere movement upwardly above the top of said side and movable below the top of said. side.

7. The combination with a shaft, of'an eccentric member rotatable therewith, .a on said eccentric member eccentric wit respect to said shaft during rotation thereof in one direction, structure operatively associated with said ring and operated thereby upon rotationpf said shaft in said one direction, and means operative upon rotation' of a cabinet side, a tub mounted for movement, drive means for I m one direction said shaft in inverse direction fofldccreasin rotation thereof to said thereby upon rotation memberan'd ring and operative upon rotation of said shaft in reverse direction for decreasing the eccentricity between said shaft andring. i

9. The combination with a container mounted a for oscillatory movement and a wringer drive shaft, of a power-driven-sha-ft, means effective uponrotation' of said shaft toward and from normal inoperative tion' and for rottting said wringer did ve shaft, means for reversing the rotation of said power-driven shaft, and means effective upon said reversal to maintain the unidirectional rotation of said wri r drive shaft or moving: said container and to stop the movement 0 said container in the normal inoperativeposition thereof.

In testimony-whereof, I have. hereunto my name this 6th day of May 

